Video

“Down Three Dark Streets” (1954)

Posted on: April 25th, 2012 by Pacific Electric No Comments

 

Broderick Crawford stars in this 1954 noir "Down Three Dark Streets," which includes action at Subway Terminal Building and Pacific Electric PCCs, including no. 5001.

From transit historian Ralph Cantos, who discovered the film on YouTube:

Pick up the action at 43:00 minutes. FBI agents follow female suspect on Hollywood Freeway to LA Civic Center, at Hill St. Both cars enter Pershing Square Garage. Woman goes up the Hill St escalator. Next seen, she is walking on Hill St. (Aactually it's Main St. - listen for LATL streetcar bells, and reflection of LATL Trolley bus in storefront windows.) Next seen, she enters SUBWAY TERMINAL BUILDING on Hill St. (notice MCL buses on street) and goes down ramp to boarding tracks. She goes aboard PE PCC at front door (number not visible), walks down the aisle, leaves car via center door, crosses the tracks and boards PE PCC #5001. Doors close, stop lights go out and you hear 2 toots of a Hollywood car whistle. (Actually, the PE PCCs had WESTINGHOUSE air horns that had a high pitched honk, rather the a toot as heard.) Action moves to Toluca Yard / Glendale Blvd. A few more beautiful shots of the PCC along Glendale Blvd. Ends at the Monte Sano stop. The condition of the PCCs are beautiful, they were not ready for retirement.

“Union Station” (1950)

Posted on: April 2nd, 2012 by Pacific Electric 3 Comments

 

From our good friend Ralph Cantos comes this great clip, from the 1950 Rudolph Maté noir "Union Station" starring William Holden.

Take it away, Ralph:

It was shot on the PEs 6th and Main elevated in 1950 using two 950s for interior shots of what are supposed to be Chicago elevated cars; Location shots look to me to be in New York (3rd Ave El?) , but other shots aboard the moving cars ARE ON THE 6th and MAIN elevated.. Some nice gear noise, the interior of the 950s (as old as they were) were BEAUTIFUL.. And that is why they went to scrap...

“Girl Shy” (1924) with Harold Lloyd

Posted on: March 25th, 2012 by Pacific Electric No Comments

 

Silent cinema legend Harold Lloyd commandeers a 200-class Pacific Electric streetcar (possibly 211?) and takes it through a variety of locations on the Western-Franklin Line in Hollywood in this sequence from 1924's "Girl Shy." Check out the comments on the YouTube page, as well, by clicking here.

From Ralph Cantos: The 200-class cars (200-299) were built between 1903 and 1909. They were used system-wide until the Hollywood cars came along in 1923, at which time the PE started selling them off, some to the movie studios. The last and best of the lot were retired in 1933.

“Hollywood Cars of the Pacific Electric”

Posted on: March 25th, 2012 by Pacific Electric 2 Comments

 

Mostly 1940s footage of the Hollywood Cars of Pacific Electric's Western Division, collected in an overview format from a variety of sources.

“Life in Hollywood, 1927″ by L. M. DeBell

Posted on: March 25th, 2012 by Pacific Electric No Comments

 

Here's a terrific promotional newsreel by L. M. DeBell produced in 1927. It includes sequences of Pacific Electric cars on Hollywood Boulevard. Suggested by Ralph Cantos.

Ralph Cantos on Fox 11 News

Posted on: March 11th, 2012 by Pacific Electric No Comments

 

Are Streetcars Coming Back to Los Angeles?: MyFoxLA.com

PE and LARy/LATL historian and friend of the Pacific Electric Railway Historical Society Ralph Cantos recently appeared on Fox 11 News in a retrospective on Los Angeles streetcar service. As reporter Tony Valdez notes, there is now discussion about bringing historical streetcar service to sections of Los Angeles, beginning with Broadway service.

Pacific Electric 332 in “Comrade X” (1940)

Posted on: January 25th, 2012 by Pacific Electric 1 Comment

 

Long before "In Like Flint" and "Austin Powers," there was "Comrade X," a 1940 spy comedy starring Clark Gable and Hedy Lamarr. Per our regular contributor Bob Davis:

One PE-related movie that is available is "Comrade X" starring Clark Gable and Hedy Lamarr. The glamorous Ms. Lamarr plays a Moscow tramcar driver and PE 332 plays a Russian streetcar.

Pacific Electric 868 in “Music is Magic” (1935)

Posted on: January 24th, 2012 by Pacific Electric 2 Comments

 

Check out Pacific Electric no. 868 starring in this scene from the 1935 musical comedy "Music is Magic" starring Alice Faye. The PE scene (which starts at about 2:45) was filmed on the Ben Mar Hills extension of the Burbank Line (reflected on 868's destination sign). Thanks to Craig Rasmussen who forwarded us the link!

“Cities of the Underworld”: Subway Terminal Building

Posted on: December 31st, 2011 by Pacific Electric 1 Comment

 

Cable television program "Cities of the Underworld" profiles the Subway Terminal building, complete with animated re-creations of the underground rail activity and an exploration of the tunnels. The STB sequence begins at about 20:30; scroll ahead to watch it.

Thanks to Kevin Sanchez who suggested this clip to us on our Facebook page!

“While the City Sleeps” (1956) by Fritz Lang

Posted on: November 29th, 2011 by Pacific Electric 4 Comments

 

See the Subway Terminal Building and former Pacific Electric units departing in this clip from Fritz Lang's classic all-star noir "While the City Sleeps" from 1956.